Basic Outline
Plot Outline *52 people are assigned a Card and therefore a random ability associated with said Card, including the main protagonist, Scottie Cassidy. *Whoever collects a hand (specifically, the Dead Man's Hand) - 5 cards - is granted godlike power. *Even non-Card Holders are able to partake in the game, so long as they kill someone who is a Card Holder. *Many people in this world desire this godlike power and seek to collect the hand. Card Holders *Randomly assigned, each Card Holder possesses a random ability that is triggered when their soul is threatened. Much of the time the abilities are hard to activate, unless one is in touch with their own soul. *The Dead Man's Hand contains the most potent abilities and are tied to the origin of the Cards as well as this godlike power. **Ace of Clubs - the Life Card **Eight of Spades - the Body Card **Eight of Clubs - the Mind Card **Ace of Spades - the Death Card **Black Joker - the Soul Card Black Joker *The Cards have been around for years and years, constanty going through the same cycle. 52 random people are granted Cards and abilities associated with said cards. Eventually, in the most recent cycle, four people decide to change the rules. These four people were the Ace of Spades, Ace of Clubs, Eight of Clubs, and Eight of Spades. Rather than giving in to their instinctual desire to play the game and continue the endless cycle of agony, they combined each of their abilities and sacrificed themselves to create a 53rd card - the Black Joker card - to break the cycle. All of their souls were bound to each of their Cards, as well as their abilities. The Ace of Spades became the Death Card, the Ace of Clubs became the Life Card, the Eight of Spades became the Body Card, and the Eight of Clubs became the Mind Card. **When the cycle reset and repeated once more, the Black Joker card was an anomaly. With a new rule introduced to the game, the Black Joker card made its way into the hands of Sally Hart (''named after the creator of the Joker card''). Upon interacting with the physical card, Sally became aware of the infinite cycle and each and every one of the Cards. She is granted immortality, and tries to communicate with the four souls (bound to the four cards) who introduced the new rule. ***As she tries to get together with them to break the cycle by joining their powers, something always gets in the way. The cycle's attempt at thwarting the Dead Man's Hand. One of them dies, or something bad happens. Sally is constantly brought into cycle upon cycle, being immortal and always aware of what is going on. She begins to lose hope. ****Upon being brought into this latest cycle (the one featured in '''Under the Gun'''), the Dead Man's Hand souls - bound to the four cards - bonded with the souls of Claire Cassidy (Life Card), Lemmy (Death Card), Haskay (Mind Card), and Lloyd Vaughn (Body Card). They did not have any memories from their past, but had a subconscious desire to assemble together. *****Sally (Soul Card) saved every other soul tied to the Cards upon their deaths in the off chance that something goes awry. She continuously followed and monitored the Dead Man's Hand members, and transferred their souls to new bodies if their old bodies died. Episode Outlines Overall Gist (TL;DR) First Arc *Scottie joining up with the Royal Flush gang. Each episode focuses on each member of the gang (Scottie in episode 1, Austin in episode 2, Claire in episode 3, Bill and Margaret in episode 4). *Austin has a troubled background and bonds with Scottie very quickly. Scottie helps him out dealing with his past dilemmas and Austin tries to help Scottie deal with his current dilemmas. The two help each other out a lot and allow each other to open up. *Claire is Scottie's daughter, though he doesn't recognize her because her and his ex-wife when she was very young. Claire recognizes him and hides her identity, though is very cold and distant towards him for a while. *Bill used to be a slave, along with his mother, for Lloyd Vaughn's family in the distant past. He has an intense grudge against him and is very focused on finding him and very ruthless. He is also very protective of Margaret who reminds him of his mother. *Margaret is very confident but also has a lot of problems, and solves them by drinking and smoking. She is very reserved around strangers but loves to take charge and start fights. She and Lloyd used to be brief lovers, which she hides from Bill. *Each episode focuses on each of the gang members as Scottie gets to know everyone better, including insight into their pasts and why they are the way they are now. *The first arc ends in a big climax Lloyd Vaughn and a couple of the Full House members arrive at the Royal Flush camp and face off against Bill and Margaret while Claire, Austin, and Scottie are trying to find the Full House camp. While at the camp they meet Haskay (Mind Card) who helps them out once they begin fighting with the King of Hearts. Second Arc *Scottie, Claire, and Austin discover Bill and Margaret have been murdered by Lloyd and his gang. Bill has also taken over as deputy sheriff and put a bounty out for all three of them, now having a lot more powerful, so they all flee. *A three month time skip occurs after the arc premiere, showcasing that Scottie, Austin, and Claire are now with Haskay and they're hiding out at a lumber camp owned by Lemmy Marston (Death Card), who helps them out. First Arc Specifics Scottie Cassidy is welcomed into the Royal Flush gang, consisting of the five main characters, and they are trying to find Lloyd Vaughn who is the leader of a rival gang, the Full House gang. Lloyd Vaughn has the Eight of Spades card (Body card) and has a strong presence in the region they're in. He's impacted each of the main characters, and works with the police to control the situation. *Austin Cortez: Lloyd kidnapped and tortured him for a period of time (scars on his neck and body). *Margaret Downes: Lloyd is her ex-husband (she keeps this secret). *Bill Garrett: Lloyd is the son of the family that enslaved him and his mother. *Claire Cassidy: Lloyd killed her mother and her (former) fiance. *Scottie Cassidy: Lloyd killed his wife and framed him for the murder. Episode 1 *Series opens with a fight breaking out at a saloon between a few people. Bill Garrett and Sally Hart are two of the people involved, though Sally is very distant and quiet. *Scottie Cassidy is sleeping in the alleyway and wakes up from the ruckus, groggy and irritated. He was having a strange dream of a snowy forest with red skies (the Oblivion). Episode 2 *Each of the main characters celebrates a win from the previous episode and parties. Info dump/backstory on each character (except Scottie), showcase more of their relationships, etc. Second part of the episode focuses on Lloyd Vaughn and the Full House gang, stark contrast to the Royal Flush. Episode 3 *A Card Holder who killed Austin's family is still alive, and Scottie goes with him. Margaret and Bill talk more, and Margaret reveals her connection to Lloyd, which has the two fighting. Claire goes into town and meets a friendly old man who teaches her a few lessons, and he is also later ambushed by the Full House. Episode 4 *Claire pursues the Full House to their hideout, and informs Scottie and Austin. The gang's hideout is discovered by Lloyd and the Full House at the same time, as Bill and Margaret are trying to resolve their differences. Massive fight ensues, which is taken into the nearby big town. Big showdown. Second Arc Specifics The Full House gang, specifically Lloyd Vaughn, kills Margaret Downes and Bill Garrett in the Showdown at (insert town name here), enhancing his own abilities. He then takes control of the law and becomes the sheriff in the entire county. Scottie, Austin, and Claire are on the run and have a massive bounty on their heads. Episode 5 *Scottie, Claire, and Austin discover Bill and Margaret have been murdered, and Bill has taken over the primary town and law system. Scottie kills for the first time, which breaks him internally. Episode really focuses on the three's relationships. Episode 6 *3 month time skip after previous episode. The Ace of Spades (Lemmy Jackson, ''named after the lead singer of Motorhead who sung the song Ace of Spades'') and Eight of Clubs (Haskay) come into play around this time, helping assist the three. Introduce flashbacks in this episode. Scottie is working as a lumberjack nearby, with a completely false identity and new appearance. Isolated from Austin and Claire. Introduce more of Austin and Scottie's building relationship. Episode 7 *Lloyd Vaughn flashbacks and motivations. The King of Diamonds character (Cesar Marston, ''named after King Cesar depicted on the King of Diamonds card'') kills Lloyd and destroys the entire town. Claire, Lemmy, and Haskay get separated from Scottie and Austin as a mysterious Card Holder discovers them. Episode 8 *Scottie and Austin realize their feelings for one another while alone and depressed, and decide to finally make it official. Episode is almost entirely focused on them as they escape yet again. Third Arc Specifics 3 months after the events of the previous arc, Austin and Scottie are trying to find Claire as the number of Card Holders begins to drastically decline. Cesar Marston is in hot pursuit of the remaining Dead Man's Hand cards, and suddenly a mysterious new Card Holder enters the fray - the Black Joker. Episode 9 *Begins with Scottie having a second dream about the red, snowy forest. The woman calls out to him, and he sees a ghostly apparition of his own body in front of him. Scottie wakes up in a cold sweat, and Austin comforts him. The next morning, he and Austin are playing Poker with each other (sort of symbolic). They have taken up residence in a desert town, trying to find Claire. Claire, Lemmy, and Haskay live with the last remaining Card Holders in a large camp. Background info on Cesar - why he's doing this, and how he is essentially being haunted by Lloyd Vaughn. This causes him to go on a rampage, storming after Claire, Lemmy, and Haskay. He purges every last Card Holder and kidnaps Lemmy and Haskay as Claire barely makes it out. Episode 10 *Claire, Lemmy, Haskay, Cesar, Scottie, and Austin are the only Card Holders alive. Scottie and Austin find Claire and reunite with her, and Scottie and Claire have a very personal talk. Lemmy, Haskay, and Cesar form a temporary alliance, deciding to track down Scottie and Austin and then resolving to duke it out after. Everyone boards the same train, train fight happens. Claire resolves to killing herself so the Dead Man's Hand is never completed. Cesar forces Austin to kill Scottie, and Lemmy and Haskay seize the opportunity and try to kill Claire and Austin and then Cesar after. Lemmy drastically wounds Claire, prompting Scottie to kill Lemmy, acquiring the Death Card, and Austin and Haskay both shoot each other fatally. Austin acquires the Mind Card, as Haskay dies sooner. Everything suddenly stops to a dramatic halt, as a mysterious woman boards the train. Episode 11 *The woman, Sally Hart, introduces herself as the Black Joker. *Sally explains what the Card Cycle is and what the Dead Man's Hand truly is. She explains how she's immortal as a result of the Black Joker card. *Unfortunately, as she tries to join hands with everyone, Claire and Austin both die from their wounds. Cesar then decides to kill himself, seeing that all hope is lost. *Reality fractures, Scottie and Sally are in the Oblivion. *Scottie and Sally are initially separated in the Oblivion. Scottie has a mental breakdown, having lost his lover and his daughter both. *Sally tries to think of what to do, running into Scottie. She and him have a real talk, and then Scottie gives Sally a bold idea - restart the cycle by killing him. Episode 12 *Sally mentions the cycle is fractured, so she is unsure of what may happen. Scottie pleads, and Sally cautiously agrees. *She kills Scottie, rendering her the last Card Holder, and thus the cycle restarts once again. Difference is - this is the Fractured Cycle, the cycle's attempt at correcting the past cycle by "restarting" it. *Because of her unique position, Sally awakens in the new cycle. As a result of the fractured cycle, all the souls Sally saved have been recycled and manifested as their old selves, though without memories. *The unclaimed souls of Cesar, Claire, and Austin's have also been recycled since they're apart of the Dead Man's Hand. The four are drawn to each other, each trying to find Scottie. *They are split up as a result of Card Holders discovering them and trying to kill them. *Austin and Claire are captured by the current cycle Bill and Margaret, and Cesar is captured by the current cycle Lloyd. *Sally tries to track Scottie's soul, but runs into the current cycle Haskay and Lemmy. *Cesar uses his Body Card against Lloyd, and goes to save Sally (redemption for what he did prior). *Austin and Claire learn that Scottie has been killed in this cycle, and try to reason with Bill and Margaret despite them not remembering anything. * Austin, Claire, Cesar, and Sally all meet back up; everyone learns that Scottie is dead, finding his recently deceased body. Claire and Austin, and Cesar and Sally have a falling out and split up. Episode 13 *Three months pass as they've all split up and begun to accept their fates. *Cesar and Sally reunite together at a shootout, and begin to have a chat and catch up, realizing their feelings for one another. Austin has fallen into a deep depression, going on a murderous rampage, even killing innocents. *Claire finds him one day and the two have a very deep conversation. During this, Austin has a epiphany about their current predicament. *Claire and Austin attempt to find Sally and Cesar, who are hostile towards each other. *Austin discusses his idea - create another rule, later known as the Red Joker. They all travel to where they buried Scottie's body, digging it up. They decide to create the Red Joker card, and introduce it to Scottie's dead body. *Scene with Scottie talking to his soul in the Oblivion, finally fully accepting himself. *With the combined effects of Life, Body, Mind, and Soul, Scottie reawakens and regenerates, his soul being returned in tact. Having replaced the Death Card with the Red Joker card, Scottie and the rest join hands and break the cycle for good. *Everything flashes white. *With the cycle now officially broken, a year passes by. Scottie and Austin are together and married, and Claire is on her own exploring the world. Cesar and Sally are also together, with Sally pregnant with their child due soon. The five decide to meet up together for Christmas and play a game of Poker. Character Outlines Scottie Cassidy *Scottie initially starts out outspokenly negative and self absorbed. He's humorous, but generally does not get along well with people and keeps his true emotions suppressed. He refuses to kill, however. After Scottie kills for the first time, he falls into depression and this act breaks him. Austin Cortez, future lover/husband, tries to comfort him which makes him realize his homosexuality and accepting himself and all his flaws. *Over the course of the series, Scottie begins to open up more and view the world more positively, trying to make others happy. Relationship with Claire *He has a very rough relationship with his daughter, Claire Cassidy, who is apart of the Royal Flush Gang, which makes it difficult for him to continue suppressing his emotions. *The two treat each other as strangers, despite Scottie's desire to right his wrongs. He does not go the extra mile to try, and Claire does notice him trying, but the two of them refuse to bring it up. *Once Scottie kills and loses Bill and Margaret, Scottie begins to deeply worry for Claire and wants to make amends for being a terrible father to her. His true feelings for Austin also help him to express himself with Claire more. Relationship with Austin *Scottie and Austin quickly bond with one another upon meeting each other and the rest of the gang (explored more thoroughly in flashbacks). With Austin, Scottie is more open and friendly, and trusts him the most. *As Austin seeks vengeance for his late family, Scottie is there to help him out, and the two begin to develop feelings for each other. Reciprocated back later, Scottie falls into despair, and Austin is there to comfort him. The two get very close as a result, and Scottie and him realize they love each other. *Austin (and Claire) are the two people that help Scottie accept himself and the rest of the world, and make him realize his life has value and he desires to be with them. Relationship with Bill Relationship with Margaret Relationship with Lloyd Relationship with Cesar Relationship with Sally=